An Afghan national who worked alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan is the man suspected of shooting two National Guard soldiers near the White House, U.S. officials said, in an attack Washington has labeled an “act of terror.” The two soldiers were critically injured and transported to surgery; authorities said the suspect will face assault charges and could be charged with murder if either dies.
Officials identified the suspect as Mr. Lakanwal and said he arrived in the United States under the large-scale resettlement effort that followed the fall of Kabul. Mr. Lakanwal was living in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children and drove across the country to Washington, D.C., where the shooting occurred, according to statements attributed to Ms. Pirro.
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Mr. Lakanwal is expected to be charged with assault with intent to kill and could face first-degree murder charges if the wounded soldiers succumb to their injuries, prosecutors said. The two National Guard members underwent surgery and remained in critical condition, officials added.
A relative who spoke to NBC said Mr. Lakanwal served for 10 years in the Afghan army in support of U.S. Special Forces. The relative said he originally came from Khost province and had spent some service time at a base in Kandahar, a region that was a focal point of fighting during the two-decade war in Afghanistan.
Authorities said Mr. Lakanwal entered the United States on Sept. 8, 2021, as part of the post-evacuation resettlement program. Kristi Noem, who has publicly commented on the case, said he “was one of the many unvetted, mass paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome,” language that has been repeated by officials critical of how large groups were admitted in 2021.
Operation Allies Welcome was launched by the Biden administration after Kabul fell on Aug. 15, 2021, to coordinate the relocation of Afghans who had worked with U.S. forces, including interpreters and other staff. The program resettled tens of thousands of Afghans; more than 40% of those initially included were described as potentially eligible for Special Immigrant Visas, which are intended for those who took “significant risks to support our military and civilian personnel in Afghanistan.”
Those admitted under Operation Allies Welcome underwent security vetting by multiple agencies, including the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center, officials said. The administration rebranded the effort as “Enduring Welcome” in September 2022 to emphasize a transition toward longer-term legal pathways such as the Special Immigrant Visa program and the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
Authorities have not confirmed whether Mr. Lakanwal received a Special Immigrant Visa or another formal immigration status. Investigators continue to examine his motives and the circumstances that led him to travel from Washington state to the nation’s capital.
The shooting has prompted federal officials to announce stepped-up oversight of foreigners who entered the United States from Afghanistan in recent years while law enforcement pursues the criminal case and reviews any potential intelligence or security lapses.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
